Fooled you! - by David Kwong
Greetings magic and puzzle lovers!
In this newsletter:
My first crossword in the New York Times
More from The Afterparty Season 2
Tony Slydini
Cryptic Crossword Clue Contest
A brand new crossword (Solve it!)
This week, I’m throwing back to the first crossword I ever had in the New York Times. A co-construction with Kevan Choset, it was published on April Fools’ Day in 2006. I remember Will Shortz, our fearless leader, telling us that the puzzle was so tricky that it needed to run on April Fools’ Day. This date also happened to be a Saturday (the hardest day of the week for crosswords). Read no further if you’d like to solve it without spoilers. Here’s the link to the puzzle online and a PDF. I’m including an image below for “spoiler space” before an explanation of the crossword.
The central answer to this puzzle was OUTSIDE THE BOX (How you have to think to solve this puzzle). In order to complete the crossword, the solver had to put the letters T-H-I-N-K outside the grid, spilling into the margins of the newspaper. This completed NO PLACE TO GO and OVERFLOWETH.
This is the puzzle that started it all for me. Hard to believe that it was almost eighteen years ago!
Hopefully by now you’ve caught up and you know whodunnit!
My co-constructor Dave Shukan and I came across this lovely guide to all the puzzles and codes hidden in The Afterparty Season 2. Thank you to David Brownman and Vicky Stein for putting it together! They’ve done a great job of keeping answers hidden until you want them.
As a reminder, in each episode one group of hidden puzzles revealed “Not the …” messages that helped you solve the mystery e.g. “Not the butler.” I’m going to spoil one of them that I’m particularly proud of …
In Episode 9, you might have noticed that we made sure to give you a full look at that Scrabble board. Here’s why: the intersecting letters, left to right, top to bottom, spell “Not without planning.” No accidental deaths in this TV show!
I’ve highlighted those letters for you in the image above. Really enjoyed constructing this one! Again, if you’d like to solve the full AfterParty Season 2 Puzzle Hunt, it’s here.
This week I’m including a classic trick in magic, Slydini’s “Paper Balls over the Head.” Tony Slydini was a master of misdirection, timing, and psychology, which you can see exhibited in the video below. You can bet I’ll be performing this for my daughter as soon as she can grasp the concept of object permanence.
Slydini was born Quintino Marucci in Foggia, Italy in 1891, though his family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina when he was still young. Eventually, Slydini found work in South America’s version of Vaudeville. In 1930, Slydini moved to New York City, where he performed in various sideshow, carnival and nightclub settings. (His first stage name was actually “Tony Foolem”!) Slydini was largely unknown to the public, but was regarded by the magic fraternity as one of the greatest close-up magicians of the 20th century. Slydini’s style of magic was characterized by his exquisite skill in manipulating small objects, such as coins, cards, and silks. Here’s another video of a whimsical coin routine. Slick moves!
In every newsletter I’ll be posting a fun little contest. Reply in the comments to this discussion thread with your best cryptic crossword entry. Like your favorites! Last newsletter’s winners are just below.
I performed last night in NYC for an event around Climate Change, so this week, reply with your entry for CLIMATE
Example:
Blanchett hanging around Neeson without a mood (7)
Include your entry and vote here in the discussion thread!
I’ve also included an explanation of how cryptic crosswords work in the discussion thread.
with 3 votesBlushing young actress displays bit of cleavage for first time (7)
with 3 votesRed clarets spilled (7)
Another brand new crossword for you to solve. Play it now. Would love to hear your thoughts below in the comments!
Interested in booking me for your next event? More info here on private parties, corporate speaking & performances and team-building puzzle hunts.
After a sold out run at The Kennedy Center, The Enigmatist next moves to Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier in May 2024. The Windy City, get ready for the puzzle party! More info here.
Enigmas: Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards. Included within this unique deck are four very special puzzle cards. Solve them all to unlock an online Puzzle Hunt! Available here.
Thank you for reading Enigmatology. If you love magic and puzzles, feel free to share and subscribe!
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